MSU IT recognizes the vital role technology plays in teaching and learning. As a primary classroom tech support for MSU faculty and academic staff, MSU IT’s Digital Classroom Support (DCS) team is dedicated to delivering a positive user experience.
To elevate their support, DCS introduced the IT Help Button and QR codes at the start of the 2024 Fall Semester. Intuitive in design, each was created with the intent to simplify requests for classroom technology assistance, especially in stressful moments that can spike anxiety.
“When technology issues arise, having a quick and seamless way to request help without leaving the podium makes a huge difference,” said Advertising and Public Relations Professor Edward Timke. “It’s incredibly simple to use and allows me to stay focused on teaching while support is on the way.”
With just a single click, instructors are seconds away from submitting a request that goes directly to DCS.
“The IT Help button eliminates call hold times and streamlines routing because it comes directly to classroom support,” said Jonathan Walker, information technology professional with DCS. “Users can request assistance in under a minute. It then only takes 40 seconds to generate a help ticket in our system for the team to see. With this new process, we can respond with assistance much quicker than we’ve been able to in the past.”
“Because we respond to technology problems that usually prevent classes from continuing, instructors are happy we arrive quickly to identify the problem and usually fix the issue. Their focus returns to teaching their class,” Walker added.
In a classroom full of students, those seconds matter.
“Time is critical when you are teaching a class,” Timke said. “The Help Button reduces the disruption to my lesson, and the fast response ensures that my students’ learning experience is not compromised.”
“Instructors who have used either the button or the QR code love the ease of service and that it does not interrupt their classes,” Walker said. “They are also happy that we can deploy a technician to their class faster than ever before.”
The IT Help button is available on all university classroom and computer lab tech cart computers and select departmental tech cart computers managed by DCS. In addition, the QR codes are posted on the backsplash of all university classroom and computer lab tech carts and select departmental tech carts managed by DCS.
Between mid-August and the first few weeks of the fall semester, the IT Help button and QR code were already used in 25 percent of the team’s 1,749 ticket requests. Walker said he is confident use will continue to rise as awareness of the service increases.
“The response has been so positive that at least three colleges have reached out to see if we can provide them with the button and QR codes in their departmental rooms,” Walker said.
Walker praised the collaborative effort to create the new process. A number of teams within MSU IT, including Enterprise Services, Educational Technology, and Infrastructure, along with the Resource Center for Persons with Disabilities, and others, contributed to the successful launch of the program.
“From inventory to layout, this has been a great group to work with,” Walker said. “With their help, we worked through a myriad of issues and created an intuitive experience that has elevated our users’ experience.”
